Description of the attraction
Cathedral of St. Domnius, also called Cathedral of St. Duzhe, is the main Catholic church in Split. The cathedral is a complex of a church built on the site of the former mausoleum of Diocletian and a bell tower.
The cathedral was consecrated in honor of St. Duzhe, the patron saint of Split, who was bishop of Salon in the 3rd century. St. Dyuzhe was martyred along with seven other Christians during the persecutions of the emperor Diocletian. The saint was born in Antioch, in present-day Syria, and was beheaded in 304 at Salon.
Diocletian's Palace is a building in the center of Split that was built for Emperor Diocletian at the beginning of the 4th century. At the intersection of two main roads is Peristyle Square, where the only entrance to the Cathedral of St. Duzhe is located.
The cathedral is divided into three parts. The main part is the mausoleum of Emperor Diocletian, which was built at the end of the 3rd century. The mausoleum was built, like the entire Palace, from white local limestone and high quality marble. In the XVII century. choirs were added. For these purposes, the eastern wall of the mausoleum was destroyed in order to unite the two rooms for the choir.
In the XIII century. inside the cathedral, on high columns with beautiful carved capitals, a hexagonal pulpit was installed, and at the beginning of the 15th century. the famous Juraj Dalmatianac creates the altar of St. Stash with magnificent relief images (in particular, the scene "The Flagellation of Christ").
The bell tower was built in 1100. It was one of the most beautiful Roman towers. A major overhaul in 1908 completely changed the original appearance of the bell tower - most of the original Roman sculptures were removed. Climbing the steep steps to the top of the bell tower, every visitor will be rewarded with a stunning view of Split.
The wooden doors of St. Duzhe's Cathedral are a separate piece of art. They were made by the Croatian sculptor and painter Andrija Buvina in 1220. The two wings of Bouvin's wooden doors depict 14 scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, separated by rich wooden ornamentation.
The treasury of the cathedral is located on the ground floor of the sacristy. The relics of St. Duzhe are kept here. Among the other treasures of the temple are sacred works of art, such as the 13th-century painting "Madonna and Child" in the Romanesque style, cups and relics of the 13th-19th centuries. It also contains the 6th century Gospel and other valuable tomes.
